NEW THEORY ABOUT THE GOODWINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 4 (Supplement)

NEW THEORY ABOUT THE GOODWINS.

HUGE SAM) RIFFLES. Ton; brings its revenges. In 1902 learned counsel held that Mrs. Ayrton, being not only a woman but also a married woman, was debarred from election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. Had she been single she might have had a chance, but being married no amount of scientific distinction could tender her eligible. Now Mrs. Ayrton has been awarded the first, medal ever granted by Cue Royal Society to a woman for her own unaided research. The medal awarded to Mme. Curie was for work in conjunction with her husband. " I can hardly say when I first, began to be interested iu science," said Mrs. Ayrton to a newspaper representative. "I studied mathematics at Girton, No, I was not very distinguished; I only took a thirdclass. i am very bad at examinations; I can't learn things easily. When 1 left— that was in 1881 — I look up private coaching, and. being interested in science, went to the Finsbury College, where Professor Ayrton was a professor. " It was not till 1893." continued Mrs. Ayrton, "that 1 began work investigating the electric arc. Professor Ayrton was reading a paper on the subject in Chicago— that was the paper which was afterwards so unfortunately burnt —and he had not had time to complete his experiments before leaving England, so his assistant and 1. continued the series, sending the reports out to him in America. Then i became very interested in the. subject, and determined to continue, the investigations myself. I read my first paper on the are before, tho British Association at Ipswich in 1895.'' A VISIT TO MAHGATK. The whole of Mrs. Ayrton's investigalions and researches with regard to the. electric arc she. gathered into a, volume, which was published in 1902. She is. as is well known, the only woman member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. But the Hughes medal of the Royal Society has been awarded her not only for these researches, but for experimental investigations on sand ripples. "1 happened to be at, Margate with my husband.' explained Mrs. Ayrton. "and there I first became interested in the sand ripples, and tried to find out how they were caused, partly by observation, but much more by experiment. You see it is impossible to make the sea do exactly what you want : and, further, in observing ripples on the shore one must look down on them, and: it is essential in watching such processes to see them in profile. So I had proper glass troughs made, and I found out exactly how ripples were caused. "You see sand ripples may seem at first a small subject, but any explanation involves all the principles underlying the motion of water and of bodies oscillating in the water. I am still engaged in these researches, and am occupied with two papers dealing with two different parts of the subject." thk fi'OUIUVINS. " One's aim in scientific research of this character,"' said Mrs. Ayrton, in .answer to an inquiry as to this aspject of her work, "is to find out what underlies certain phenomena ; but I feel sure that in the end it will be, of practical use in dealing with coast erosion or quicksands. At present our knowledge of the mot ion of water is slight. I made the suggestion—and 1 still believe it to be true that the Goodwin Sands are really huge ripples. Tie is a. narrow spit of land mar tie- Goodwins, and it seems possible fluttjif the configuration of the shore could be: altered and the trend of the water changed the Goodwin? might disappear." On the resting character of scientific research Mrs. Ayrton was enthusiastic. "There is nothing so fascinating, so absorbing," she said. "You think and think about, lain phenomena till you think out a possible solution, and then von experiment to see if it i- correct ; and as vou experiment your attention is drawn to fresh phenomena, and experiments must lie started afresh to account for these in their turn.

'"And .1 believe," remarked Mrs. Ayrton, "thai, women an- really well adapted for this work. They often" have leisure: they have a great habit of put tine: two ami two together—men deny that, hut it is true— and they have unite ha good power? of observation as men, and great patience. Ft scientific research you must have intuition. a kind of trained imagination, thai leads you to form a theory about what you see. from which yon can experiment, and 1 think women have that intuitive power; the power, as it were, of spreading out facts in their minds and drawing the threads together, and coming to a logical conclusion. That is very different." concluded Mrs. Avrton. with a smile. " from being able to lay out these connecting threads for someone else to see."